In today’s digital world, succeeding in your business goes beyond getting buyers through the customer journey. It’s also using customer engagement strategies to enhance the customer experience and strengthen brand loyalty.
According to Twilio’s 2023 State of Customer Engagement Report, 86% of customers say a personalized customer experience boosts their loyalty to specific brands.
That said, you must show consumers you value your relationship with them, not just the cash they spend. That’s why engaging customers consistently and showing commitment to their specific needs is crucial.
We’ll look at five customer engagement strategies to help you engage customers effectively and boost sales.
What Is Customer Engagement?
Customer engagement is where you interact with customers using various channels to strengthen your relationship with them and increase customer satisfaction.
The Twilio report shares that investing in digital customer engagement channels can increase a brand’s revenue by 90% on average.
You can engage your customers through email campaigns, social media, websites, community forums, or any other platform they consume content from.
On top of revenue growth, other benefits of a strong customer engagement strategy include the following:
- Increased loyalty and customer lifetime value;
- Improved customer relationships;
- Upsell and cross-sell opportunities;
- Increased customer base through referrals.
Customer Engagement Marketing Strategies To Increase Revenue
Let’s now look at five effective customer engagement strategies to help you boost sales and increase customer loyalty.
1. Implement Email Marketing Campaigns
Email marketing is the most effective customer engagement strategy, with 79% of marketers ranking it as their most effective channel. On top of that, email campaigns have an ROI of 3,800% or $38 for every dollar invested.
To deliver this kind of success, you must have a solid email marketing strategy to drive customer engagement.
One strategy to implement is offering customers valuable email content consistently. According to a 2023 Semrush report, 44% of companies succeed in marketing by improving their content’s value and quality.
Valuable content can help you build customer trust, guide your subscribers through the buyer’s journey, and increase online sales.
Here’s an example of an effective email campaign from Zapier:
Once the free trial period ends, Zapier sends its customers weekly emails with offers and discounts[1] to remind them they must purchase the software to continue using it.
To start engaging your target audience with email campaigns, you need an email marketing platform[2] that offers ecommerce-focused features to help you stand out from competitors.
Also, remember to segment your email list and tailor your content to meet the needs of each group.
2. Optimize Your Website and Emails for Mobile
Did you know that 76% of U.S. consumers purchase products online using a mobile device?
In other words, each time you promote your offers through emails and ads, you can expect about three-quarters of your customers to access your website on a smartphone.
That clearly shows why optimizing your website for mobile shopping is essential.
The best way to do that is by using responsive themes and designs for your website and responsive templates for your email campaigns.
Here’s an example of a responsive template from Sender:
3. Start a Loyalty Program
A customer loyalty program encourages consumers to purchase from your brand instead of your competitors. It also builds trust between your business and customers.
In fact, 66% of consumers are willing to modify their spending to maximize loyalty benefits. In addition, 73% of shoppers will recommend businesses with a good loyalty program.
Here’s an example of Starbucks’ Rewards Program:
Starbucks’ loyalty program rewards customers for their loyalty and encourages them to buy more from them. It also reduces the likelihood of consumers buying coffee from competitors like Costa Coffee, Tim Hortons, or Dunkin.
The program is regarded as one of the most rewarding, and its growth exploded during the 2020 pandemic. Approximately 29 million people enrolled in the program in 2022.
Social media helps you connect with your target audience, build customer relationships, and increase traffic and sales.
Some effective social media platforms you can use to engage customers include Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.
Instagram stands out with approximately 1.3 billion monthly users in 2022. The channel mainly focuses on pictures and can be ideal for ecommerce stores to showcase their products. Therefore, use the platform to engage customers with attractive product images.
Here’s an example from Starbucks that focuses on posting highly-engaging Instagram posts:
Starbucks posted an eye-catching image of an iced brown sugar oat milk shaken espresso that attracted a lot of positive comments from followers — with many commenters expressing their love for the drink.
The company uses eye-catching images to build a successful customer engagement strategy to connect with its followers and boost sales.
Remember, you don’t have to maintain a presence on every social media platform. Instead, determine where your customers spend the most time and create a solid presence on those specific social channels.
Social proof is a solid customer engagement strategy since credibility and trust are essential for a business to succeed.
One effective form of social proof is customer testimonials, which appeal to prospects since they offer much-needed credibility. That’s why asking for customer feedback should be integral to your customer engagement strategy.
A BrightLocal report shares that 95% of customers left an online review in 2022 when asked to do so. However, the same report shows that 81% of consumers will give a positive review if they believe you did your best to offer them an exceptional experience.
Therefore, give your existing customers personalized experiences.
For instance, you can use interviews and customer surveys to understand specific issues consumers encounter when using your services or products. You can then use emails and social media to educate them on how to solve those challenges.
That way, you’ll gain positive customer feedback to attract potential customers and establish your business as reputable and trustworthy.
Key Takeaways
Engaging customers consistently will help you add value to the customer experience and keep your brand in their minds.
Here’s a recap of the customer engagement strategies we’ve covered:
- Implement an email marketing campaign;
- Optimize your website and emails for mobile shopping;
- Start a loyalty program for your customers;
- Build a solid social media presence;
- Use social proof to boost conversions.
The more engaged your target audience is, the more loyal they’ll be. That will help you enhance your brand identity, boost customer satisfaction, reduce churn, retain customers, and ultimately increase your bottom line.
